9-8-2024 (HANOI) A devastating incident unfolded on the morning of 8 August in Nam Nhum district, Lai Chau province, when a massive boulder, weighing several tonnes, dislodged from a mountainside and crushed the cabin of an excavator, resulting in the immediate death of its operator.
The victim, identified as Mr Lu Van Hoa, a 36-year-old resident of Dien Bien province, was operating the excavator along Highway 12 in Le Loi commune when the tragedy struck at approximately 10:30 am. The rockfall, originating from a cliff face over 100 metres high, left a trail of destruction in its wake.
Eyewitnesses at the scene described a grim tableau: the cliff, densely forested, bore long streaks where the rocks had tumbled down. Two enormous boulders lay on the road surface – one had smashed into the excavator’s cabin, while another had come to rest about 10 metres away. The affected stretch of road, spanning over 100 metres, was littered with hundreds of rocks of varying sizes.
A representative from the Le Loi commune People’s Committee confirmed that Mr Hoa was en route to a construction site when the fatal accident occurred. While the day of the incident was marked by clear skies, the official noted that the region had experienced heavy rainfall in the preceding days.
This tragic event has once again highlighted the perilous nature of National Highway 12, a vital 200-kilometre artery connecting the northwestern provinces of Lai Chau and Dien Bien. The highway, which winds through mountainous terrain, is notorious for frequent landslides and rockfalls, particularly during the rainy season.
